Control attachment for dictating-phonographs.



. R. B; GOODRICH. CONTROL ATTACHMENT FOR DICTAYTING PHONOG RAPHS. APPLICATION FILED IULY 29. I915.

' 1,200,100.. Patented Oct. 3,1916.

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R. B. GOODRICH.

CONTROL ATTACHMENT FOR DICTATING PHONOGRAPHS. APPLICATION FILED JULY 29,1915.

1,200,100. Patented 0w. :5, 19m.

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CONTROL ATTACHMENT FOR DICTATING PHONOGRAPHS. APPLICATLON FILED lULY 29, 1915.

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Patented Oct. 3,1916.

- 50 position to give the desired result.

RALPH B. eoopn'rcrr, or CINCINNATI, OHIO.

CONTROL ATTACHMENT FOR DICTATING-PHONOGRAPHS.

'class which are of a commercial character and especially adapted for recording and reproducing dictation.

-Machines now in use involving the record- I ing and reproducing principles of the phonograph, for business purposes, are open to the objection that there is no positive and reliable means whereby the liability of the operator 'to make mistakes in the manipu- "lation of the machine during the recording of the dictation, isentirely eliminated. That is to say, in using the present type-of dictating phonograph, it frequently happens that owing to the similarity in appearance of the recorder and reproducer, the operator may readily confuse the same, and thus make two mistakes whereby no recordof speech is obtained. Themost frequent of these errors occurs when the operator talks into the mouth piece while the recorder is in its off position, or when it 1s not in con tact with the wax cylinder. As is well known, in the use of these machines,- it is necessary to raise the device carrying the recorder and reproducer so as to change the wax cylinders, and oftenwhen the new cylinder is placed in position, the operator starts to dictate without dropping the carrier device to brin the recorder onto the surface of the cylin er. Owing to the slight 7/ movement or thrownecessary to shift the recorder from its inoperative to 'its working position, the operator is easily deceived as to the condition of the instrument,.and unless he exercises many annoying precautions, and makes a careful and close examination which consumes much valuabletime, he cannot be sure as to whether or not his recorder is in the recorder is not in working position on the wax cylinder, the deception may be further carried out since the wax cylinder may be caused to rotate on the throwing in of the clutch by pressing the finger piece of the hand pump. That is, as the operator'will Specification of Letters Patent.

When

Patented Oct. 3, 1916.

Application filed July 29, 1915. Serial No. 42,587.

see the wax record in motion,'he will believe that the machine is in proper condition for recording his dictation. Accordingly, it will be clear that the most common error incident to the use of the dictating phonograph is largely due to the deceptive condition and appearance of the operating parts, and the operator, fails to get the desired record on the wax cylinder, because he forgets to man-, ually throw the recorder into working position on the cylinder, though he, instinctively presses the finger piece of the pump to start the cylinder rotating. Another mistake is incident to the use of the reproducer. When the operator desires to hear a portion of what he has dictated, it is necessary to shift "the recorder and reproducer carrier so that the reproducer rests on the wax cylinder, and it frequently occurs thatthe reproducer is unintentionally left on'the cylinder and the dictation resumed without getting any record of speech, .because the recorder was not shifted into operative position after finishing with the reproducer.

Accordingly, it will be apparent that in order to successfull operatethe present machines, close attentlon must be given to the.

mechanical working thereof, which under some conditions of use is not only annoying, but distracting-to the thought sought to be expressed by the operator. Therefore, the present invention has chiefly in view the elimination of manual control and attention to the several working parts'of the apparatus as much as possible, and. proposes to utilize a simplified controlling device whereby the manipulation is rendered quick, reliable, and positive.

'To this end, the invention has primarily in view a novel controlling device, preferably 7 of pneumatic type, whereby the pivoted car-. rier portion of the traveling carriage is automatically thrown into operative position simultaneously with the starting of themtation of the wax cylinder. Thus, since'the 'same operation which starts the cylinder, automatically puts the recorder in working position on the cylinder a record of the dic Another object of the invention is to pro tation will be insured.

vide a device whereby it will be impossible to start the rotation ofthe cylinder by the usual pneumatic apparatus when the reproducer is on the record, thus giving the operator-the signal that his machine is not in condition for recording. In other words,

when the reproducer is on the record, it will be necessary for the operator to resort to the finger trips to stop and start the machine to control the rotation of the cylinder,-thercby giving an additional Warning that the instrument will not record the dictation since the pneumatic pump device is used only for this purpose.

' with which it is intended to be used, nor materially affect its appearance, and which will also be quick and positive in operation. In addition to these features, the inventionproposes to combine therewith, the essential element of simplicity without sacrificing strength, thereby providing a substantial and reliable device in the nature of an attachment which may be economically manufactured and easily fitted to machines now in use.

With the above and other objects in view which will more readily appear as the na ture of the invention is better understood,

the same consists in the novel construction,

combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described,,illustrated and claimed.

The preferred and practical embodiments of the invention are shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a 'dictating phonograph, showing the application of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a perspectiveuview of the present attachment.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view thereof Fig. 4 is a side elevation, partly in section of a dictating phonograph, showing the carrier having the recorder and reproducer thereon in its raised position, and the attachment forming the subject of the present invention in its normal at rest state. Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 showing the attachmentin operative position to throw the carrier device into such a position that the recorder will be in contact with the wax cylinder.. Fig. 6 is a view similar'to Fig. 4, but showing the reproducer in place of the recorder, and the'position that the parts of the attachment assume when the reproducer is in position for reproducing, but out of contact with the wax cylinder. view similar to Fig. 6 showing the reproducer on the wax cylinder, and the relative position of the parts when this condition exiStS':

Similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

, The present invention is susceptible of be: ing adapted and applied to all machines of the general type set forth. However, for the purpose of showing one application of Fig. 7 is a the invention, the present drawings illustrate a standard type of Edison dictating phonograph, such as is shown in the patent of Durand, No. 1,106,443, Aug. 11, 1914.

By reference to Fig. 1, it will be observed that 1 designates the casing of-a dictating phonograph of the type referred to, having arranged on the top thereof the usual framework 2, record mandrel 3, the traveling carriage 4, and the recorder and'reproducer'carrier designated generally as 5. The device as shown further includes the usual :motor driven pulley 6 and the clutch device 7 which is operated through the medium of the shift rod or clutch shifting device 8 by either a pneumatic cylinder and piston element 9, which constitutes one actuator for the clutch, or a finger trip device 10 including-the starting and stopping keys 11 and 12 which constitutes another actuator for the clutch. The pneumatic cylinder'and piston element 9 communicates with a hand pump 13 by means of a detachable'connection 14 and tube 15, and as usual the said hand pump 13 is provided with a push rod 16 which may be conveniently pressed by the operators thumb as he grasps the body of the pump carried by the sound conveyer 17.

"The sound conveyer tube 17 is fitted at one end with a suitable mouth piece M and is connected at its opposite end with the recorder 18 on the swinging carrier 5. In this type of machine, the carrier 5 also has associated therewith a reproducer 19, the

same being arranged in such a position with respect to the recorder that either one of these devices may be rotated into position to contact with the wax cylinder on the mandrel 3 by grasping the handle 20 and swinging or rotating the carrier on its horizontal pivot 21 on the arm 22. This arm is pivoted as at 23 to the traveling carriage '4, so as to have a vertical movement and thereby make it possible to lift the carrier 5 withoutraising the carriage 4, when desired. 'Further, for the purposes of illustration, the invention is shown in connection with the type of carriage and carrier controlling mechanism shown in the U. S. patent to Hibbard, No. 1,023,250, April 16, 1912; In this type of device, the traveling carriage 4 is slidably mounted on a guide rod 24 'at the rear of the machine, and car- .ries therewith the usual feed nut 25for engaging with the feed screw 26. ,/As previously described, the carrier 5 isa'hounted on and movable with the carriage 4 longitudinally of the machine, and also capable of being raised vertically on the pivot 23. That is tosay, the carrier 5 and carriage 4 together swing on the rod 24 as -a pivot, and for the purpose of maintaining the carrier and carriage in either their up or down position, there is provided a suitable raising v45 j ing',fas mglch'as possible manual attention to the manipulation of the, dictating phone .gra h, and automatically controlling the lowering of the carrier andcarriage .4,

55" Y 4. Thisdevice, is'preferably in the form ofa toggle element C connected with a finger I the feed nut is out of engagement with Qthe feed. screw 26.

However, when the finger lever F is moved, as shown in Fig. 5, the toggle element shifts to such a position that the carrier 5 is lowered onto the Wax;

cylinder, and the carriage 4 is lowered so that the nut 25 engages with the feed screw,

26. It'will thus be apparent that the raising and loweringv of the carrier 5 and car- .riage 4 is accomplished by the finger lever F which constitutes a single control element therefor. That is to say, when the lever F is moved towardthe rear of the machine, it

comes disengaged from the screw 26, .and

' raises the carriage 4 so'that the nut 25 be also raises the carrier 5 having'thereon'the slidably mounted therein a working piston 29 having a plunger head 30, and is provided at its rear end with a valve orifice or I escape port 31. The end of the cylinder adjacentthe valve orifice 31 is closed by a suitable cap or end plug 32 having a nipple 33 for receiving a tube 34 which connects by a T-fitting 35 to the tube 15 of the clutch control apparatus.

Accordingly, it will be apparent that the piston 29 of the present device is pneumatically actuated by air supplied from the hand 13, when the latter is operated to throw the clutch 7 into position for connecting the mandrel 3 with the pulley 6. In connection with the T-fitting 35, it may be noted that in thepractical operation of the invention, itis necessary to provide the fitting with a larger 0 ening for the tube 34, than for the detac able connection 14.

This has been found'necessary, since it re-- quires a relatively small quantity of air to "throw the. clutch 7 into operative position,

while it requires a relatively higher air pressure to move the piston or plunger element 29.

will be seen that 'the cylinder 27 is formedwith a" Hat seating valve face 36 surroundcific to certain detailsof arrangement, it.

- will of course be understood that the present invention is not limited in its utility and application to this combination, but is chiefly concerned with the automatic con-- ing the port 31 to provide a smooth .con-

tact surface for the sliding valve cover plate 38 which is part of a valve orifice controlling device 39. This device is pivoted to trolling of the finger lever or equivalent element, andthe signals produced thereby regardless of the particular. means employed for accomplishingthe usual throw of the carrier and the carriage. The invention is,

therefore, intended to be available to any commercial type of dictating machine. I

1 Accordingly,f or the purpose of el,im'1nat-.

the, present invention preferably employs an vautomatic control attachment.

' device designated in'it's' entirety as P, and

which ismounted on the traveling carriage a I the preferableform shown, this attachment consists of a pneumatically controlled piston "an; attachment, and is clearly shown apart.

end a; suite from themachine'in Fig. 2.;; As will be the cylinder, as at 40, and includes'a stop finger 41 which is adapted to rest against an abutment shoulder 42 below'the port 31.

For the purpose of automatically holding 'the plate 38 in such a position that the fully appear, the said plate 38 is provided with a spring 43'coile'd aboutithe shank of the pin; 40 and h'avingits free end exerting The port cover plate 38 alsohas foianedinte muy; therewith an offset and forwardly extending lever arm 44 which undern0rmalconditions,- is in: contact with the reproder will be'closed.

- 'From'ian inspection of Fig. wherein.

the traveling carriage 4 is shown. in its raised-'1 from the wax-[cylinder W on the mandrel 3, [it willbe observed that the reapp arent' an inspeci z-ion' this figure, 1 the invention-includes'Fin'pitsorganization the entire attachment may {be readily" F cured to, the carriage ;4, dir ectlyl behind vthe-1 -control lever The, said cylinder27 has producer 19 isin such a position that it pressesagainst-the .leverarm 44 of the 'a tension on the reariof the stop finger 41.- I

'115 ducer-19 tovkeep t he 'pgrtcover plate 38in such a-position that the port 31 in the cylin raised"p0si tipn,"and1he recorder-18 is also device'Pl'tb"keeptheport'31 closed. Assuming that it;fis {desired to i'nake a record of speech oi fthewax cylinder W, it is only -nece' aryffor ;the operator, with parts shown the 'pos'ition indicated Fig. 4, to

press the finger piece 16 of the pump 13 thus force air through the tube 15 to-the T-fitting 35. At this point the air will divide and go throughthe detachable con nection 14 to throw in the clutch 7 and also go through the tube 34 to the cylinder 27, to

.throW the piston 29 out of the cylinder, so I that the head 30 will push the finger lever F of the carrier forward and thereby throw the recorder 18 onto the wax cylinder W as shown in Fig. 5. At this same instant, the carriage 4 is also throwninto such a position that the nut.25 engages the screw 26. It

thumb pressure on 16, and the clutch 7 will return to inoperative position and the piston 29 will fall back into the cylinder 27, but the stylus of the recorder 18 will remain in position on the wax cylinder W. When the dictation is resumed, the finger piece 16 is again pressed, and the clutch 7 thrown into operative position, and the piston'29 also forced out of thecylinder 27, but in this movement of the piston no part of the machine is moved as the finger piece F is already in position for permitting the recorder to contact with the record. However, if the operator has been dictating and desires .to hear a portion of what he has previously said, it is necessary to bring the reproducer 19 into position for contact with the wax cylinder. That is to say it is necessary to manually lift the carrier 5 by means of'the handle 20 on the pivot 23, and swing the reproducer from the positions shown in Figs. 4 and 5 into the position that the recorder normally occupies. As soon as the reproducer 19 is shifted into position for reproducing from the wax cylinder, it will be apparent that the lever arm 44 of the device P is without any support at its front end, and accordingly, the valve coyer plate 38 will swing upwardly through the action of the spring 43 and uncover, the

port 31.- Assuming then that the operator having heard the desired portion of his dictation, resumes the. remainder-thereof, without changing from the reproducer to the recorder, it will be apparent that-he cannot start the rotation of the mandrel 3 by pressing on the finger piece 16 of the pump 13. That isto say, as the port 31 is uncovered when this condition of the machine exists, any air expelled'by the pump 13 into the tube 15 will pass through the T-fitting 35 into the pipe 34, and thence out of the port 31, instead of branching from the T-fitting 35 into the detachable connection 14 to throw in the clutch, since as has been previously stated, the opening in the the wax cylinder.

naooaoo T-fitting which connects with the member 14'is-smaller than the opening communicating with the tube 34, and the air will naturally follow the course of least resistance. Thus, the operator will know that he will not get any record of his dictation, since he will not see the mandrel rotating, and seeing this condition of the instrument will readily appreciate that the reason for being unable to start-the mandrel, is that he is attempting to talk into the reproducer, and of course will immediately. lift the carrier 5 and swing the recorder 18 into proper position, thus raising the reproducer so that the lever arm 44 of the device so Pis turned to bring the port cover plate 38 over the port 31. Then by a pressure on the finger piece 16, the air supplied by the pump 13 will gothrough the tube 15, and divide at the T-fitting 35 and go through the tube 34 to push the piston 29 out of the cylinder 27 against the finger piece F, to thus simultaneously start the rotation of the mandrel 3 and lower the recorder onto From theforegoing, it will be apparent that the port 31 m the cylinder 27 is only open when the reproducer19 is on the wax record. This makes it impossible to throw the mandrel 3vint0 operation pneumatically, and the starting and stopping of the cylinder is accomplished entirely by the starting and stopping finger trips 11 and 12. This also furnishes another check on the operator and prevents him from dictating into the 1 reproducer, since he lmows that when he is talking into the recorder, it is necessary for him to hold his thumb on the finger piece 16 of the pump 13, and when he is reproducing,

it is necessary for him to manipulate the finger trips.

When the wax record or cylinder is at a state of rest, and the carrier 5 having the recorder 18 and reproducer 19 thereon in its raised position, and it is desired to dic- 1 tate, it will be impossible to dictate with the carriage off the cylinder, as the same instant the clutch 7 is thrown into operative position to start the cylinder,.the present attachment P automatically throws the car- 1 riage into proper position for recording. All during the time the machine is recording, the port 31 inthe cylinder 27 remains closed.

From the foregoing, it is thought that the many features and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent, but it will of course be understood that otherimportant objects are attained besides those already alluded to. One of these is of special prac- 1 tical importance in its application to the dictating phonographs now on the market. In explanation thereof, it should be observed that it is not absolutely necessary when the reproducer is in position on the cylinder for and minordetails of construction may be re sorted to without departing from the spirit ofthe invention or scope of the appended der the conditions stated, it is not necessary to depend entirely upon the eye, as a signal or inoperative conditions would be given to the ear, because the moment the operator compresses the pump piston, there will be absolutely no sound from the machine, since no click will sound from the clutch engaging nor any sound be given from the clutch operating mechanism. This double-check is of considerable importance, because it obviates the use of a signal hell or other alarm device to attract the operators attention that the reprgducer is in position instead of the dictating diaphragm or recorder.

Various changes in the form, proportion claims. a

I claim; 1. In a phonograph, the combination with a rotary member, a clutch device for said member, a clutch shifting device, separate actuators for said clutch shifting device, and a movable recorder and reproducer carrier, of means for rendering one of said actuators inoperative when the reproducer is in operative position with respect to the rotary mem-' ber.

2. In-aphonograph, the combination with,

a rotary member, a'clutch device fox-said member, a clutch shifting device, separate actuators for said clutch shifting device anda movable recorder and [reproducer carrier,-, of a control attachment including means for operating one of said actuators to cause the starting of the rotary member and simult a' neously throw the carrier into operative po-- sition.

an phonograph, including inJcombination, a rotary member, a clutch therefor, a

clutch shifting device, separate actuators for said clutch device, amovable re corder and reproducer carrier, 9. control at-.

tachmentfor the said carrier into operative position with respect to the rotary m nected with one of said actuators and also to said-carrier control -,attachment, "said atf 4,211; a pho ograph,

taehmenthaving means a; rendering the actuator'connected with the'operators controldevice inoperative.- j 1 1 the combination with a; rotarymember, a combined manual and pneumatically operated clutch device, and a movable recorder and. re roducer carrier, of

er, an: operators control device con-- pneumatically-when the reproducer is inoperative position.

5. In a phonograph, the combination with a rotary member, a clutch device for said member, a clutch shifting device, separate actuators for said clutch shifting device, a shiftable carriage, and a movable recorder and reproducer carrier on said carriage, of a device having means actuated by one of said actuators simultaneously with said clutch mechanism to throw the carrier into recording position and the carriage into a traveling position. Y

a carrier and carriage, carrier and carriage control means, and a pneumatic clutch mechamsm, of a pneumatic device including a cylinder and piston for operating said car- 6. In a phonograph, the combination with rier and carriage control means, the cylinder of said devicebeing in piped communication 'with said pneumatic clutch mechanism.

7. In a phonograph, the combination with I a carrier and carriage, carrier and carriage control means, and a pneumatic clutch'operatmg mechanism of a pneumatlc devlceincluding a cylinder having an escape orifice 1 and a piston operating therein for control,

ling said carrier and carriage control means when said orifice is closed, a tube connection between the cylinder and pneumatic clutch operating mechanism, and. means governed by a portion of said carrier for opening and closing the orifice in said cylin'der. f

' 8. In a phonograph, the comb' ation with a carrier-havinga recorder and reproducer mounted on a 'travelingcarriage, carrier and carriage controlmeans, and a clutch operat-'- ing mechanism, of a device'actuated simultaneously with said clutch operating mocha,

nism to operate the carrier-and carriage con trol means, and having means governed by-v the position of the reproducer for rendering itself operative or inoperative.

9. In a phonograph, the combination with carriagecontrolmeans, and a clutch operating mechanism, of a device. including a plunger element actuated simultaneouslywith said clutchoperating, mechanism to operate said carrier and carriage control i a carrier having a recorderand reproducerl .mounted'on a traveling carriage, carrier and means, and having means governed'by the 1 position of the reproducer "for rendering the plunger element operative or inoperatlve.

.10.- In a phonograph, the combination" with a carrier having a recorder and reproducer mounted. on a traveling carriage, car'- rier and'carriag'e controlmeans, and a'pnem matic clutch operating mechanism, of a pneumatic controldevice including. a cylinder havlng an escape-orifice, aplunger element movable therein to operate saidcam'ier and canriage control means, audit valve'idef-f cemeans for rendering sai clutch inoperative-t5 vice controlled by the position} of ithe reltio producer for covering and uncovering said escape orlfice, sald cylinder of the control device'being inpiped communication With the pneumatic clutch operating mechanism.

11. In a phonograph, the combination with a rotary member,- a clutch device for said member, a clutch shifting device, manual and pneumatic means for operating said clutch shifting device and a movable recorder and reproducer carrier, of means controlled by the position of said carrierfor rendering said pneumatic means inoperative.

12. In a phonograph, the combination With a rotary member, a clutch device for said member, a clutch'shifting'device, finger trip devices for operating said clutch shifting device, other means including an operators control element for operating said clutch shifting device, and a movable recorder and reproducer carrier, of an attachment for operating said carrier and operatively connected with said other means and operators control element for operating the clutch shifting device, the position of the carrier controlling said attachment for rendering the operators control inoperative. 13. A phonograph including in combination, the supporting member for the record, the'carrier for the'recorder and reproducer, and a control device comprising means for throwing the recorder in operative relation to the supporting member, and having means for engaging the reproducer to render the said device operative.

14. In a phonograph, the combination with a rotary member, a movable recorder and reproducer carrier, a clutch device for saidrotary member, a clutch shifting device including an actuator therefor, and

means for rendering said actuator inoperatix e when the reproducer is in operative position with respect tothe rotary member.

.In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses. RALPH B. GOODRICH. Witnesses:

A. L. QUILL, E. C. SMALL. 

